


Smell As Sweet

by TheLillie



Series: Trans-Galactic Cell Service [3]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 02:12:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13672110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLillie/pseuds/TheLillie
Summary: Sour Cream hummed a short note. “I don't know. I don't think they have clubs and stuff in space. She's probably never been to one.”“Well, there's a first time for everything,” Sadie shrugged. “Who knows? She might really like it.”“And my Sour Cream cannot have a girl who can't rave,” Jenny said sternly.But it was Buck who sealed the deal: “You could try thinking of good nicknames while we’re there.”





	Smell As Sweet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [realfakedoors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/realfakedoors/gifts).



“Hey, Sour Cream!”

At the sound of his name, Sour Cream looked up to see Jenny waving at him from a back table. Buck was beside her, feet on the table and guitar in his lap; across from him, Sadie seemed to be absent-mindedly sipping a soda; between them, an empty chair. Sour Cream smiled a little and brought his pizza over to them.

“We haven’t seen you in weeks, man,” said Buck.

“He was at band practice on Thursday,” Sadie replied.

Buck started plucking out a random chord on his guitar. “Feels like weeks.”

“Aaand how’s your baby blue baby?” Jenny asked with a grin.

“Baby blue baby, huh,” Sour Cream mused. “Too many syllables.”

“Don’t fear the syllables, brother.” Buck strummed a riff.

“I don’t know.” Sour Cream slumped in his chair. “I’m just trying to think of a snappier nickname for her.”

“Why not just call her Pearl?” Jenny asked.

“That works most of the time, but sometimes it makes me think of Steven’s mom person, and that makes it weird.”

Buck stopped strumming and pointed. “Sadie’s our lyrics guru. Maybe she’s got the nicknames.”

Sadie looked up. “Oh, me? I dunno, I guess…” She lightly pinched her straw between her fingers, eyes down on the table as she thought. “Baby blue, powder blue, sky blue…”

“Sky could be cute,” Jenny suggested as Buck resumed his playing. “And it’s only one syllable.”

“Nah, doesn’t really feel right.”

Jenny hummed a little. “What about--she came to Earth with her friend, right? Who was also named Pearl. What'd they call her?”

“I dunno,” Sour Cream said. “She went back into space with Lars.”

Sadie pinched her straw a little tighter, flattening the opening.

“Can’t ask, then.” Buck shook his head. “Not until we got trans-galactic cell service.”

“Man, trans-galactic Lars. That’s still such a wild concept to me,” Jenny mused. “Like, we just knew him as ‘donut boy’ for so long, right? And then we finally started to get to know him as a person and he’s still just a mostly normal kid, and then all of a sudden he’s this super space zombie rebel thing.”

“He’s a phoenix. But pink instead of red.”

“Bubblegum phoenix.”

“Triumphantly reborn after his tragic--”

“Can we change the subject?” Sadie blurted.

Buck’s guitar fell silent again; Jenny’s mouth closed.

“I-I mean--” Sadie’s cheeks reddened. “I just--I heard there’s a club that just opened right outside of town that’s looking for new music. I was thinking we could...I don’t know. Scope it out tonight and see if we maybe wanna book a gig there.”

“Sadie, that is such a great idea!” Jenny gushed, any previous awkwardness sliding right off her like oil from a wet glass. “That sounds so fun. And Sour Cream--” Her voice became sing-songy. “You could bring your  _ girl-friiieend.” _

Sour Cream hummed a short note. “I don't know. I don't think they have clubs and stuff in space. She's probably never been to one.”

“Well, there's a first time for everything,” Sadie shrugged. “Who knows? She might really like it.”

“And my Sour Cream cannot have a girl who can't rave,” Jenny said sternly.

But it was Buck who sealed the deal: “You could try thinking of good nicknames while we’re there.”

Sour Cream smirked a little. “Yeah, alright. I'll ask her. No harm in trying.”

“All right! Date night!” Jenny held her hand up for a high five, and successfully received three at once.

***

The garage had switched from just Mom’s art hideaway to Pearl's temporary home a few weeks ago, not long after Pearl had arrived on Earth and decided to stay. At first it felt a little weird to have a person living in the garage--especially when that person became Sour Cream’s girlfriend--but Pearl loved the place, and Mom was thrilled to have a new art buddy, and Onion seemed to enjoy her quiet, alien company. Not to mention, it was nice to be able to hang out with her so easily and often. Almost every day Sour Cream could just come home and they’d spend time together, talking or listening to his music or watching her sketch, just the two of them.

Today when he poked his head in, the garage was busier than usual. Pearl was behind an easel working hard on something, her hair pulled back from her eyes and held with a scattered assortment of barrettes, and Mom was watching from a few feet away. Mom’s friend Amethyst sat on a three-legged stool in front of them with her eyes closed and one arm held over her head, apparently modeling. 

Sour Cream stepped in and let the tarp fall behind him. Pearl stayed focused on her easel, but Mom looked up at the sound of his entrance. “Oh, hey, kiddo. How’s your day going?”

“Pretty good,” Sour Cream replied distractedly. “Um, can Pearl and me have a minute?”

Mom chuckled. “Good luck getting her to hear you. She’s in the zone. How ya doin’, Amethyst?”

“Eh, not bad,” Amethyst yawned. “Might be better if I had a snack.”

“She’s been holding that pose for almost an hour now,” Vidalia said. “Whenever  _ I _ paint her, she gets fidgety after twenty minutes.”

“It’s cus you talk so much, girl. I get distracted.”

“Well, no one ever said you had to respond…”

Sour Cream’s attention drifted to Pearl. She’d only decided to start keeping her hair back about a week ago, and sometimes her eyes were still a startling sight. They were wide and blue, a brighter and sharper blue than the rest of her, and rarely blinked. Right now they were focused keenly on her work, staying still and intense on her paper and then darting quickly to Amethyst and back again.

And geez, were her eyes pretty. All of her was pretty. How’d he get lucky enough to have such a pretty girlfriend?

“Alright, fine, I guess I’m just a waitress to you,” Mom said. “Sour Cream, you hungry for anything?”

Sour Cream looked up. “Nah, I’m good.”

Mom clicked her tongue and gave a thumbs-up. “I’ll be right back. Don’t do anything while I’m gone.”

She went into the house and closed the door, leaving Sour Cream alone with the two Gems.  For a moment it was silent but for the skritch of Pearl’s pencil, until Sour Cream started shuffling around looking for another stool to sit on. The one he found was significantly shorter than the one Amethyst was on, and he sat with his knees bent almost up to his chest.

Silence fell again. Amethyst cracked open one eye.

“Whaddup, bro?” she asked casually.

“Just wanna ask Pearl something,” he replied. “How much longer do you think she’ll be?”

“If she’s anything like my Pearl? It’s gonna be a while.”

Sour Cream slouched, resting his chin in one hand. “Do you ever get the two of them confused? Like, mixed up in your head?”

“What, Pearl and Pearl? Do you get ‘em mixed up?”

“It’s just weird that my girlfriend has the same name as the weird Steven-Universe-Protection-Squad lady. When you hear the name, your brain has to pick which one to think of before you know who they’re actually talking about, and then when it’s wrong it’s super weird.”

Amethyst snorted. “I’m telling her you called her that.”

“Meh.” He slouched lower.

“If it bugs you that much, just call one of ‘em something different,” Amethyst said simply. “Go as SC and BP or something.”

And therein lay his problem of the day. It seemed everyone else could think of nicknames for her, but none of them truly felt  _ right  _ to him. He had to think of something that fit perfectly, something cute and unique and sweet and thoughtful. Something she’d really love. Something like….

No use. His mind was still blank.

“Finished!”

He jumped a little at the sudden shout. Pearl was grinning wide and standing, her pencil thrown to the ground. Amethyst opened her eyes and lowered her arm as Pearl carefully tore her completed drawing from the easel.

The door opened and Mom came back in, a plate of snacks in one hand. “Oh hey, perfect timing! Ready to show off the product?”

Pearl excitedly turned the paper around and bounced up onto her tiptoes, her sheer skirt swooshing with the movement. Sour Cream’s mouth involuntarily fell open at the drawing--it was probably one of her best he’d ever seen. The shading and details were stunningly lifelike, and the exaggerated angles and stylized background of stars and zig-zags made the drawing pop as specially her own.

“Wow, I’m impressed!” Mom said, handing the plate to Amethyst and leaning forward to inspect the drawing closer. “This is a super great blend of realism and style. Isn’t it cool the new things you can do with those rules? Once you know them, then you can decide exactly how to break ‘em!”

Amethyst took the plate and didn’t look at it before dumping the snacks into her mouth. “Yeah, it looks sick.”

“That’s crazy awesome, dude,” Sour Cream said.

Pearl looked at him and beamed even wider, her eyes crinkling. “Do you like it?”

“‘Course, man. It’s totally radical.”

“Not as radical as you,” Pearl sang, swaying from side to side a little.

“Well, it’s not as beautiful as you.”

“Or as you!”

“Bwooop, flirt alert!” Amethyst hollered. “Bwoo--”

Mom lightly smacked the back of her friend’s head and steered her back toward the door as the siren impression turned into a cackle. “We’ll give you lovebirds some space.”

The door shut. Pearl blushed and averted her gaze, started looking for a place to hang her drawing. She grabbed a few thumbtacks and brushed aside some loose papers to find an empty space of wall.

“Hey, so, uh--” Sour Cream cleared his throat. “My friends and I are going to this club tonight to see if it’s cool for our band. I was wondering if...maybe you wanted to come.”

Her art secure, Pearl straightened and brushed back a stray lock of hair. “A club?”

“Yeah, y’know. There’ll be lots of music, and people dancing, and cool lights probably, and…” He slid his hands into his hoodie pockets and shrugged. “I dunno, it’s usually pretty fun. And you could dress up cool for it, if you want.”

The door flew open. “Dressing up for a club, huh?”

Sour Cream’s face flamed. “Mom! You said you’d give us space!”

“Sorry, I just had to eavesdrop a little!” Mom waved Pearl over. “Cmon, I’ve got just the stuff for you to wear. You’ll love it.”

Reluctantly, Sour Cream had to nod. “I gotta admit, she knows her stuff.”

Mom held her hand out and wiggled her fingers. Pearl hesitated, but then softly smiled and took the offer.

 

A few hours later, the five of them were loaded into the pizza cab--Jenny driving with Sadie shotgun and Buck, Sour Cream, and Pearl across the back--and cruising out of the city. Mom’s leftover wardrobe from her punk days had Pearl looking sharp; she kept her flowy skirt and leotard, but added a black leather jacket overtop, and traded out her little blue flats for knee-high combat boots. Her hair was slicked back, the longest bits tied in a tiny ponytail.

“You guys all ready for an amazing night?” Jenny cheered. “Woo!”

“Gonna be legit, gonna be lit,” said Buck. “Gonna be a hit.”

“Gonna be lots of fun!” Sadie agreed.

Jenny adjusted the rearview mirror to look in the backseat. “You excited, Pearl? Girl’s first-ever Earthling party!”

Pearl didn’t respond, her attention somewhere a million miles away. She’d been leaning out of the car and staring at the sky almost the full drive. Sour Cream nudged her, and she jolted a little.

“Ain’t no party like an Earthling party, right?” he said.

Pearl smiled and nodded. “Yes. I’m very excited.”

“Oh, here it is!” Sadie said, pointing. “Right up there, on the right.”

Jenny pulled over and parked the car. The club was lit with bright purple and red, and the music’s bass buzzed across the sidewalk. Sour Cream took Pearl’s hand and squeezed it.

“Last one in buys the mozzarella sticks!”

Jenny took off running. Sour Cream kept a hold of Pearl’s hand as they chased after her, then dropped it once they got to door. After assuring the bouncer they were all over eighteen, they slipped into the flashing lights and crashing sounds.

Immediately Sour Cream was in his element. The colors, the laughter, the excitement, the people, the beat of the dancing and the beat of the music--this was what he was  _ born  _ for.

But it wasn’t long before he realized he was missing something. He turned around.

“Yo, Pearl, where’d you--”

His smile dropped.

Pearl had frozen, right in the middle of the crowd, her head bowed and her hands folded. Her eyes were glazed over, set on the floor and not moving any more than the rest of her.

Sour Cream pushed past a few dancers. He reached for Pearl’s hand. It was cold and stiff, even when he gripped it tight.

“Hey, are you okay?” he shouted over the noise.

Pearl gasped and jumped, her freeze cracking away all at once. “Yes! I’m sorry!”

She didn’t look okay. Sour Cream frowned and wove his fingers through hers. “Let’s get you out of here.”

Pearl didn’t say anything, but didn’t resist as Sour Cream pulled her to the glowing exit sign. After a few steps he tugged her closer and wrapped an arm around her slim torso--couldn’t risk losing her in the crowd. He’d found she had the tendency to accidentally disappear like that, to simply fade into the background.

They reached the door, and Sour Cream pushed it open. The brisk night air immediately washed over them, a welcome contrast from the pressing heat and smells of the club. He kept pulling her away from the building until the music faded into quiet, and they found themselves in an empty, overgrown lot.

Pearl straightened her shoulders and sucked in a deep breath through her nose. It shook as she blew it back out.

“Maybe we should’ve taken it slower for your first-ever dance party,” Sour Cream conceded. “Think you’re okay for real now?”

“Maybe,” she almost-whispered. “But I don’t want to go back.”

“Yeah, that was probably way too much for you.” He moved his hand up to her shoulder. “We can just hang out here until Jenny and Sadie and Buck are done.”

“You’re not going to miss your party because of me, are you?”

“Nah, c’mon, I’m not gonna just leave you alone out here.” He moved to sit down, then briefly glanced from the prickly weeds across the ground to Pearl’s nearly-bare legs. He took off his hoodie and laid it down for her. “Here. You can sit on this.”

Pearl was still again. Then, gradually, her demeanor loosened, and she accepted the seat. Her eyes stayed distant.

“Do you...wanna talk about it?” Sour Cream tried.

She shook her head.

“That’s cool. That’s fine.”

He laid his hand next to hers, an open offer if she wanted to take it. After a few seconds of stillness, Sour Cream bit the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t really had much expectation for how this night was gonna go, but he knew he didn’t plan on this. And he’d been hoping that something about the music or the atmosphere or just being near her would inspire him with the perfect nickname, right out of the blue. That hadn’t happened, either.

But now...he supposed he didn’t have a better idea than just to ask. And he didn’t have a better time than right now.

“Hey, do you want a nickname?”

Pearl looked up at him and cocked her head.

“Y’know, something I can call you,” he said, blushing a little. “Something besides Pearl. Something special.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been trying to think of one all day,” he admitted. “How do you feel about just Blue?”

She nodded. “That is what Steven and some of the others call me.”

“Do you like it?”

“It serves its purpose.”

Sour Cream raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you don’t like it.”

She hesitated. Then she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her legs. “It makes me think of Homeworld. The Blue Court. My…. Blue Diamond.”

Oh. Sour Cream was silent for a moment. Pearl was so quiet and chill and apparently happy with life on Earth; it was easy to forget that she’d left thousands of years of trauma behind her. She looked like a cool teen right now, but she was pretty much older than Sour Cream’s whole family line. And she’d spent those millennia serving a giant space dictator, with no chance of freedom or rest or even feeling like her own person. There was so much more to her, so much more than he’d ever know. How could he even come close to understanding enough to help her feel better?

Awkward, he plucked up a stalk of grass beside him and fidgeted with it. He supposed if he’d had to have his dad’s last name, he wouldn’t really like that. That was sort of the same deal as this.

“That sounds rough,” he finally said. “I know I definitely wouldn’t want to think about that.”

She gave a dark little laugh. “It’s funny, though. I don’t want to forget it, either.” She shook her head. “I know I’ll never see my home or my Diamond again, so thinking about them is all I can do.”

“Do you…” Sour Cream paused to try searching for the right words. “Do you miss Blue Diamond?”

“She was my Diamond.” Pearl shrugged. “I was made for her, I served her, I was devoted to her. She was everything I had.” Her soft, whispery voice took on a hard edge. “But if she had ever thought she had a reason, she would have shattered and replaced me without a second thought. I was nothing to her.”

Sour Cream dipped his head and started curling the stalk in his hand into a tiny ball. “Sounds kinda like me and my dad. He was almost never around, but I thought that just cus he was my dad he had to be great and I had to love him. It took way too long for me to realize he’s just a jerk who never cared about me at all. And once I did...it really hurt to let go.”

He released the stalk, and it uncurled as it fell to the ground.

“But then it felt good. Cus instead of him, I’ve got Mom and Onion and Yellowdad and my friends,” he said. “And you.”

“Yes,” Pearl said, soft again. “I have you. And Vidalia. And Steven. And Earth. And…”

Her hand touched his. He looked up from the ground, then down at her.

“What if I had a human name?” she asked.

“Hm?” Sour Cream raised his eyebrows. “Just any human name? Like, Janet or Cathy or something?”

“Something that starts with P, perhaps.”

“That makes sense, I guess.” He leaned back and looked up at the stars. “Pearl. Patricia. Pam. Priscilla. Penelope.”

She lifted her head. “What does Penelope mean?”

“I dunno. I think it’s Greek.” He looked back at her. “You like it?”

“Penelope,” she whispered. “Penelope.”

A smile gently touched her lips, then took full hold. Her eyes crinkled.

“Yes. I like that one.”

Sour Cream smiled back at her. “It’s cute. It suits you.”

Penelope wrapped her arms around his. “It’s not as cute as you are.”

“Well, I’m not as cute as you.”

“Well, I’m not as sweet as you.” She scooted close and curled up against his side, head resting on his shoulder and knees lying against his thigh. “I’m going to give  _ you  _ a nickname. I’m going to call you Sweet Cream.”

‘Wh--really? You’re going with that?”

“Yes. Do you like it?”

Sour Cream closed his mouth. It was cheesy and corny and sounded pretty silly, but...she was so sincere about it. And she was sitting so close to him and clinging so tightly to his arm, and she looked so nice with her hair tied up like that and her eyes reflecting the stars…

“Yeah, I guess I do,” he said.

“Good.”

Penelope closed her eyes, and her weight pressed a little more heavily against him. Sour Cream smiled and laid his head atop hers. 

And for the rest of that moment, it didn’t matter what either of them were called. And the coolest club in the cosmos couldn’t compare to that messy, quiet little lot under the stars.


End file.
